Taoiseach urged to relax rules on ‘ridiculous’ 200 spectator limit at sports venues

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has pledged the Government will respond “in a positive but safe way” to appeals to end the “ridiculous” limit of 200 spectators at outdoor sporting events.

He was commenting in the Dáil after a number of TDs called for the rules to be relaxed and spectator limits to be based on the size of venues.

Independent TD Michael Lowry said this “blanket approach is causing multiple problems for parent bodies, clubs and general members”.

Mr Lowry said “the current restriction on numbers is neither logical nor justified.” Citing Semple Stadium in Thurles, he said it has a capacity of 48,000 and “it is ridiculous that only 200 people, including players and officials, are permitted to attend a game there”.

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Sinn Féin TD Thomas Gould said that only 40 tickets would be allowed for each team at a match because 40 people are needed for each team and venue staff including stewards, referees, media and first aid providers take up another 40. "So there are only 80 tickets left between two clubs, which is only 40 each."

The Cork North-Central TD said Páirc Uí Chaoimh had a capacity of 45,000 seats but only 80 spectators were allowed in. Croke Park can hold 80,000 people and can only have 80 spectators in it.

Fianna Fáil TD Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill said there had to be recognition that open-air events were not confined spaces. "People are out in the open, so this limit makes no sense."

Independent TD Peter Fitzpatrick said that just two or three miles across the Border “more than 500 people could attend GAA matches”.

The former Louth manager and current chairman of the Louth county board said that last weekend they could only have 30 players and 60 spectators. “There are 41 clubs in County Louth, and each of them could take 5,000 or 6,000 people with no problems whatsoever. Yet we are only allowed take 200 people in.”

Fine Gael Wexford TD Paul Kehoe said this was a huge issue for many GAA clubs which had more than 1,000 members but could only give their supporters 40 tickets and he appealed to the Taoiseach to talk to the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) about the issue.

Mr Martin said he was very conscious of the issue and had spoken to the acting Chief Medical Officer about it.

They had to defer it “on an absolute basis across the board” at the time to try stop the spread of the virus and stabilise the situation.

“It is fair to state that lumping outdoor and indoor events together may not be the optimal approach.”

He said he did not expect players and mentors “to be included in that figure of 200,” which had reduced the number at matches to a minimal figure.

“I will work on this and the Minister for Health and NPHET are also engaged on the issue,” he said.

“The GAA and other sporting bodies have been lobbying effectively and strongly and we will try to respond in a positive but safe way to these queries.”